Honda K24A Engine (2.4 L): Horsepower, Gas Mileage, Main Problems, Lifetime

Are you a car enthusiast who digs car interiors more than their outer appearance? Do you concern more about an engine's power, efficiency, and reliability? Then, the Honda K24A series is the best option to satisfy your needs.

Honda K24A is a four-stroke and four-cylinder engine designed under the popular K series of Honda. Before we go to the Specs of Honda K24A, let's learn a little bit about the Honda K series.

Honda K series

THE Honda K series was first introduced in 2001. This series has dominated the last two decades regarding reliability and efficient engines. The secret lies in constant modifications and tons of versions Honda has produced in these years. 

The Honda K series has short blocks like the previous Honda B series. The main difference lies in deck heights. A special factor in the Honda K series is the addition of the Smart Distributor Less Ignition system(SDLI). This system optimizes the overall combustion and enhances the mileage a lot.

          1. Honda K20 Series

The name K20 represents its 2.0-liter engine with 4 cylinders. The two variants K20A2 and K20A3, are our main focus because the other versions like K20(A, B, C, Z) are almost the same derivates of these two versions.

The K20A2 engine can be found in the many Honda car models like Honda Civic Type R(2001-2006). This engine comes with an incredible 200 horsepower(hp) at 7400 RPM. However, the RPM varies from model to model. This engine has a compression ratio of 11:1 and a torque of 142 lb-ft. 

K20A3 is almost identical to K20A1. The K20A3 has a lower compression ratio of 9.6:1 in the Honda Civic(02-05). This system has an i-VTEC system to control the volumetric efficiency, which has led K20A3 to have a lower 160 hp at 6500 RPM power. 

Click on Honda K20 SERIES for a deep understanding of these engines.

          2. Honda K23 Series

This series has one version of the K23A1 engine. This engine produces a high torque of 260 lb-ft, but the engine is economical thanks to the i-VTEC system. It has a compression ratio of 8.8:1, a 240 hp at 6000 RPM power, and was applied in Acura RDX (07-12). 

It comes with a cylinder bore of 86mm, and a Stroke of 99mm. This version has an additional turbocharger to give it extra horsepower.

          3. Honda K24 Series

 The Honda K24 series is considered more efficient in the air intake, exhaustion, VTEC, modified crankshafts, and rods than the other K series of Honda. The K24 series has an 87mm cylinder bore and a piston stroke of 99mm.

K24 Variants

The K24 series has many variants, such as K24A, K24A(ECO), K24A1, K24A2, K24A3, K24A4, K24A8, K24Z(1,2,3,4,5,6,7), K24W(Earth Dreams), K24V, and K24Y giving the competitors a hard time for 20 years. All of them are highly efficient in performance, but let us get into the details of the two famous ones K24A1, and K24Z.

To get a deeper understanding of all the K24 variants. Go to Honda K24 Series Variants(Wikipedia).

K24A1 Engine

K24A1 engine came in Honda CR-V's (2002-2006) for the first time, and it was the pioneer of all the K24 series engines. This engine has an average compression ratio of 9.6:1 and a Horsepower of 160 hp at 6000 RPM, the same as the K20A3 version. 

Similarly, the engine has a torque of 162 lb-ft at 3600 RPM. However, this engine turns out to be better at generating low-end torque than its predecessor K20 series. For the other variants of K24, the torque range stays between 158 lb-ft to 203 lb-ft, and the horsepower is between 150 hp to 205 hp.

This version does not have a VTEC system for volumetric efficiency, and it relies on its twelve valves for performance. Still, K24A1 is considered one of the best options for engine swaps. The heads of the K24A1 engine cylinders are similar to type-S heads, which are efficient enough to allow an enormous amount of airflow. Type-S heads are also the best option for swap.

K24Z Engine

K24Z engine has 7 variants starting from K24Z1 to K24Z7. The K24Z engines have been applied in many cars, from the first Honda CR-V (2007-2009) to Acura ILX(2013-2015). Here is a list of some K24Z engines with some Honda car models.

• K24Z1 Engine, Honda CR-V(07-09), compression ratio 9.7:1, 166 horsepower at 5800 RPM, 161 lb-ft torque.
• K24Z2 Engine, Honda Accord LX(08-12), 10.5:1 compression ratio, 177 horsepower at the rate of 6500 RPM.
• K24Z3 Engine, Honda Accord(CP2, CS1), CR 11.0:1, 201 horsepower at 7000 RPM, 172 lb-ft torque.
• K24Z4 Engine, Honda CR-V, CR of 9.7:1, 161 horsepower at 5800 RPM, and 161 lb-ft torque.

The list goes on, and the production of the K24Z engine continues to this day.

Problems with Honda K24 Engines

Honda K24 engines have been proven highly efficient and reliable for many years. But, even these engines are not 100 efficient. Honda company is still struggling with some problems that occur in K24 engines. 

          1. Honda K24 Front Crankshaft Seal Oil Leaks

The front crankshaft seal of the Honda K24 engine, also known as the front main seal, covers the end of the crankshaft. Its main function is to avoid any oil leakage from the front of the crankshaft. This seal is made out of rubber material which is very dependable for avoiding any leakage. Unfortunately, after 120,000+ mileage, the rubber material wears down. In old engines, this seal can wear down even at lower mileage. 

The crankshaft of K24 engines also has a rear main shaft that can leak in the seal as time passes. It would be best to replace your front and rear seals before they hit 120,000+ mileage to avoid this problem. You can also identify the problem if you see any oil leaks or burning smells. However, any oil leakage in the engine does not always mean crankshaft leakage. There could be many possible leaks in an engine.

Replacement: The rear or front main seals are cheap and easily available. You can get them replaced for $10-$30.

          2. K24 Exhaust Camshaft Lobes Wear (Galling)

Another important part of K24 engines is the camshaft, known as cams. The function of the cams is to control the intake and exhaust valves. Its lobes lift the valves to allow the flow of fluids. These lobes can start developing friction causing the surface to be rough. This problem is commonly known as Exhaust cam lobe galling. This situation causes excessive loss of power. 

In worse conditions, You may hear the sounds of friction like grinding, rattle noise, or clunking caused by these camshaft lobes, and you can get a complete power loss.  

Replacement: If you can hear such sounds, it is too late for your exhaust cams, and you will have to replace them. Unlike the front or real seals, cams are a costly part of the K24 engine, and they can cost you up to $800-$1500.

          3. Timing Chain Tensioner Problems

Honda engines used to have timing belts to control valves and pistons. They have optimized it to timing chains in K20 and K24 engines. Chains are better and more reliable than belts, but they are prone to slapping around. In K24 engines, this problem has turned out to be more common than in other series. 

This problem can cause internal damage to the engine. You may have problems starting the car, or you may hear rattling sounds coming from the car's engine. 

Replacement: The replacement cost varies from model to model. Some people want to replace the whole timing chain, while others only replace the tensioner. So, the price varies, but overall it can cost you up to $100-$400 for components. You may have to pay $700-$1200 to the repair shops for the overall repair of this problem. 

K24 Engine Tuning

Ready to tune your K24 engine? It will help if you buy some basic components like K24A cylinder block, KA20A Type R head, and K20A Euro R. know that this setup is for the K24A variant only. Due to pistons and cylinder contact, this setup cannot be applied to the K24Z series. With the right setup, you can get up to 260 hp of power from your K24A engine without changing many parts.

Forced Induction

Suppose the 260 horsepower of the tuned K24 engine is not enough for you. In that case, you can take your engine to even 400 hp with forced induction. With more enhanced air and fuel intake using forced induction, the horsepower can produce even higher numbers. The more you throw money into it, the more you can boost up your horsepower. 

If you want your engine to reach 500 horsepower, many companies provide K24 crate engines. For the top-notch upgrade, adding a K24 crate engine is the best decision to make.